Further actions taken to mobilize the private sector for the reconstruction of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten – In the past week, over 200 persons from the private sector on Curaçao, Aruba & Sint Maarten delved deeper into the Sint Maarten Trust Fund tendering process through a series of information sessions. The info-sessions were a follow up to an introduction webinar held on May 9.

“200 million still has to be allocated to
projects connected to the Sint Maarten Trust fund. The World Bank has 2 billion
available for projects in the region. These are two good reasons to familiarize
yourself with the tendering process as it can mean a wealth of opportunity for
your business,”
said Chris Johnson, Head of The Dutch Representation Office, who opened the
information session on Sint Maarten on behalf of the Dutch government.

The Sint
Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund is financed by the
government of the Netherlands for up to 470 million euros (US$ 553.4 million)
and administered by the World Bank. The Sint Maarten government implements the
activities financed by the Trust Fund through the National Recovery Program
Bureau (NRPB).

On Curaçao and Aruba, the sessions on June 5 and 7 respectively were well
attended. Both the chambers expressed the importance of “working together and
creating joint ventures to speed up the recovery of Sint Maarten.” On Sint Maarten the fully booked session on June 11 included
a wide range of representatives of the business community.

“There is nothing better than rebuilding
a home and seeing persons on their feet again,” expressed Natasha Constant,
who attended the info session on behalf of the company Master Fixers.“We are here to learn more about the World
Bank tendering process, so that we can get involved in upcoming housing and
construction projects.”

Others,
like Jobert Gabriela of Carib Trans, attended the information session as an
opportunity to network: “We were one of the
first shipping companies up and running after the hurricane. Our company wants
to continue to play a role in the rebuilding process. Today I hope to connect to
companies that will work on projects connected to the Trust Fund and that can
use our services.”

There were also representatives present who had already been part of Trust Fund
projects, such as Yuri Daal from ICE: “Our
company has provided consulting services on projects including the police
station repairs and shelter assessments. Yes, working with the World Bank means
a lot of ‘paperwork’ for your company, however we did quickly notice this is
beneficial. The checks and balances are in place for a reason – to make sure
that a project is completed properly and transparently.”

World
Bank representatives kicked off the three information sessions by providing an
overview of the Trust Fund “The
private sector is a key partner in building resilience on Sint Maarten and it
is exciting to engage with businesses across the Caribbean region. Building
back better means increasing resilience not only in housing and infrastructure,
but also in social and economic sectors and we need many partners in this
transformative process. These seminars were a promising step in involving these
partners to deliver recovery projects on the ground.” said Michelle
Keane, World Bank Manager of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund who presented in
Curaçao and Aruba.

Claret Connor, Director of the NRPB followed with a presentation on the role of
National Recovery and Resilience Plan to guide project selection, ongoing
projects connected to the Trust Fund, as well as future projects: “We are
very fortunate to have the opportunity of the Trust Fund and support from The
World Bank, a triple A rated institution in building back a more resilient and
better St. Maarten. I am very pleased to have been told on all of the islands that
the information shared in the plenary and the hands-on workshops sessions have
met the expectations of those who attended,” Connor shared.

Jules van
Son, Private Sector Liaison Officer Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland
(RVO), concluded the plenary session with information on working in consortia
and/or joint ventures: “In most cases, especially with large projects, it is
necessary to find business partners that are complementary. This entails
good preparation, being informed as much as possible about the projects that
are of interest, to eventually start with the bidding process.” The RVO is available for further
assistance on this subject, also in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.

In the second half of the information sessions – attendees
were worked in breakout sessions, one focused works and one on services to
discuss the tendering process step-by-step, the types of tenders that are
currently open and those that are expected to open.

The organizing parties – World Bank, NRBP, Dutch
Representation, Chambers of Commerce and RVO – would like to extend their gratitude
to all participants that have attended the information sessions thus far. The
information sessions have contributed to increased insight into the supply and
demand and capabilities of the private sector on Curacao, Aruba and Sint
Maarten. It has also given all parties a chance to connect with each other.

“It is one of the core responsibilities of
the Chamber of Commerce to add value to Chamber membership. By providing this
platform, which allows for an exchange of information and networking, we are
empowering our local businesses to tap into a world of opportunities when it
comes to projects and possible joint ventures connected to the Trust Fund and the
World Bank,” explains Jennifer Carty, board member and project liaison for
the St. Maarten Chamber Of Commerce and Industry.

Follow-up actions will be formulated and scheduled based on the experiences
from these sessions, with a continued goal of increasing information access and
cooperation within the private sector.